This tailor-made tour by your resident wine expert is designed for the visitor who would like to experience and taste some of the other delectable delights that are also on offer in the winelands area in addition to some of the fantastic wines. The tour is geared not only for the tasting but for the educational value as well as learning about each product that you are introduced to. Your day can include Paarl, with its imposing Afrikaans Language Monument and of course the Franschhoek Valley.
Hands down, one of the most celebrated wine and food destinations in South Africa, the beautiful Franschhoek Valley, which was established by French Huguenot refugees in 1688, is a captivating blend of European charm and spectacular verdant scenery. The town itself is well worth a visit, with the main street dotted with high-end boutiques, fine dining restaurants and art galleries. The valley is renowned for making excellent versions of almost any varietal and if sparkling wine appeals, there's also a dedicated Cap Classique route here. We recommend Solms Delta (for a Cape food & wine pairing), Haute Cabrière (see a sabrage show on Saturdays) and Babylonstoren (it boasts a breathtaking eight-acre garden).
Perhaps most well known as the home of commercially popular winery Fairview and its famed goats, Paarl is the slightly more rural, covert sibling of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. That said, it's also one of the most innovative wine regions in the Western Cape - it's responsible for creating the world's first white Pinotage and bottling SA's first Bordeaux-style red blend. The more than 28 farms that make up the district are spread out around the iconic pearl-shaped Paarl Rock (the town takes its name from this mountain. Spice Route, Nederburg and Glen Carlou (Kleine Draken is worth a visit for kosher wines) are some of the wine farms worth visiting for tastings in the area.
If there's one wine region everyone knows, it's the Stellenbosch wine route. Sprawling out around the old university town of Stellenbosch, this vast, pretty locale is the most commercial and well-established of all wine destinations in South Africa (in fact, it was the first wine territory to establish a coordinated wine route). For a little sparkle to tantalise the taste buds, the Villiera Cap Classique and Sally Williams Nougat Pairing Experience is a must, where four MCC Sparkling Wines are paired with a decadent nougat range.
From cheese tasting, to chocolate, biltong and olives tastings, this day is yours to tailor and craft as you choose. Enjoy lunch at one of the top restaurants or estates (lunch to be settled directly but wine tastings included) and you will return to your hotel late this afternoon.
The Best of South Africa Travel map displays the locations of the destinations and accommodation that we have selected and visited; for each item, hovering over or clicking the marker will display a short summary and photo of that place or hotel, and hotel pricing. Follow the links in the info box to the full page listing which has much more information.
Note that the online map offers both a satellite view (click satellite in the top right) and, for some locations, a street level view (Drag the person in the top left onto the map). These let you explore the country; and when you wish to explore in person, or if you have any questions about the places you see, give our staff a call, or request a quote. Our staff regularly visit the places and accommodation that we feature.
When you book a holiday with us we will provide full driving instructions for reaching your accommodation, where necessary; these can be used by yourself, or you could enjoy the luxury of a driver. Alternatively we will arrange private (car rather than coach) transfers for you; helicopter transfers are also possible for some destinations.
